Variations of in vitro nitroglycerine permeation through human epidermis

Area of Science:

• Dermatology
• Pharmacokinetics
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Nitroglycerine (NG) is a vasodilator used to treat angina.
• Understanding transdermal drug delivery is crucial for effective therapeutic outcomes.
• Human skin, particularly abdominal epidermis, serves as a common route for topical drug administration.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantify the in vitro fluxes of nitroglycerine (NG) across human abdominal epidermis.
• To investigate the influence of demographic factors, specifically gender and age, on NG skin permeation.
• To establish baseline data for NG transdermal absorption in a diverse human population.

Main Methods:

• In vitro permeation studies using human abdominal epidermis.
• Controlled experimental conditions at a constant temperature of 32°C.
• Measurement of NG flux in micrograms per square centimeter per hour (µg/cm(2) × hr).

Main Results:

• The overall mean NG flux was 16.9 µg/cm(2) × hr, with a standard deviation of 47.7%.
• No significant differences were observed in mean NG flux or its variance between male and female subjects.
• While mean NG flux remained consistent across age groups (36-58 and >60 years), the variance in flux was significantly higher in the elderly group (>60 years).

Conclusions:

• Transdermal nitroglycerine absorption shows considerable inter-individual variability.
• Age is a significant factor influencing the variability of NG skin permeation, with elderly individuals exhibiting greater differences in absorption rates.
• Gender does not appear to be a determining factor in nitroglycerine skin flux, suggesting similar absorption profiles between males and females.